WASHINGTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed its scheduled vote on Thursday, July 29th, 2026, to advance Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general. The delay came after Republican Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina expressed concerns over a settlement between former President Donald Trump and the IRS, citing a lack of written assurances from the Justice Department.

Both Cornyn and Tillis, who have previously clashed with Trump and are not facing re-election this November, have complicated Blanche’s path to confirmation by demanding clarifications from the Justice Department. The senators met with Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, on Wednesday afternoon to discuss ongoing negotiations with the DOJ.

A spokesperson for the committee stated, “Chairman Grassley works to set President Trump’s nominees up for success in committee, not failure. Senators Cornyn and Tillis want written assurances from the Department of Justice regarding the Trump-IRS settlement.” The spokesperson also confirmed that the vote would not take place on Thursday.

A Justice Department official said Wednesday night that new language had been transmitted to Cornyn and Tillis and that discussions to address their concerns were ongoing.

Senator Tillis outlined his consistent demands to the Justice Department: to eliminate the anti-weaponization fund and to narrow the scope of the settlement involving IRS audits related to Trump. He noted he has been in “constant daily contact with the DOJ” and that a draft was being worked on. After meeting with Grassley and Cornyn, Tillis indicated the Justice Department appeared to agree to his terms on the anti-weaponization fund but that clarification was still needed on who is protected from IRS audits under the legal settlement.

Tillis also dismissed Trump’s claim that the vote delay was due to the president not endorsing him in the GOP primary, calling it “a convenient excuse for not cooperating with the Judiciary Committee’s appropriate role in judicial confirmations.”